Harris County Judge has granted a temporary restraining order against the Houston Independent School District in response to a legal filing by the Houston Teachers Union.
The union, representing educators from across the city, alleged that HISD proceeded to implement a new teacher evaluation system without obtaining proper approval from teachers and stakeholders.
“This affects their livelihoods. It affects their ability to know that when they’re being evaluated. It’s not about whether or not Wheatley High School has an A Grade or a B Grade or D Grade,” said Chris Tritico, general counsel of the Houston Federation of Teachers. “It’s about whether or not these employees can pay their bills, take care of their families, have a job next year.”
He referenced HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ reasoning for the evaluations and said that his appraisal system will impact whether or not a teacher will get a raise or keep a job.
“Teachers in HISD don’t have a problem with being evaluated. I want to make that clear,” said Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers. “We just want to know that we are going to be evaluated by a system where we know what the expectations are and what the criteria is.”
The union’s lawsuit contends that under the Texas Education Code, the district must consult Shared Decision Making Committees before implementing a new system. A hearing on Sept. 11 will decide if the new system can be used or if the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System should be followed, which the union claims has been in use for years.
Anderson is hoping the Board of Managers holds Miles accountable just as he holds the teachers accountable.
“We worked nearly two years with the previous administration developing TTESS, the state’s assessment,” Anderson told the Defender. “Teachers and administration spent countless hours of training and development leading to implementation. We left thinking that we were going to be evaluated under TTESS. Miles comes in and mandates his system without following the law. The SDMC was not utilized as they were on vacation. It is a clear violation.”
HISD has not commented on the lawsuit.
